Chapter 121

“Whoa… so the door wasn’t locked from the start?”

“Y-Yes, it seems so…”

With a hurried motion, the innkeeper pulled out the key and slowly opened the door.

“Rido-san…?”

Following the innkeeper, Gazelle, and Felix into the room, I timidly called out Rido’s name. His room had a living room that spread out beyond the door, with a bathroom and bedroom accessible from there. But even before calling out, I knew no one was there. The room was silent, and there was no sign of anyone. As I glanced around the living room, Gazelle came to my side and held my hand, just like yesterday during our walk through the city. But it wasn’t the gentle grip from yesterday; it was painfully tight. When I looked up at Gazelle, furrowing his brows, he whispered in a low voice, “Don’t leave my side, Takumi.” Unable to protest against his unusual behavior, I simply nodded.

“—Commander Gazelle! Please look at this.”

At Felix’s call, Gazelle and I turned toward the bedroom.

“Wha—!”

The moment we entered the bedroom, Gazelle gasped. Alongside him, I was speechless, staring at the scene in front of me. There was a glass window in the bedroom that led to a terrace, and it was wide open, letting the sea breeze blow into the room. Part of the glass window was broken, with shards scattered around the room. And from the terrace outside the window to the bedroom floor, there were several footprints made by soil and mud. The bed in the center of the room was also covered in mud everywhere. Furthermore, the bedside lamp was knocked over, with glass shards scattered on the carpet. And just like the floor, the lampshade was stained with reddish-black mud… No, could it be, is that not mud but blood stains…!?

「Ah, Rido…!」 

The room was in disarray, tainted with mud and blood. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening. But one thing was certain—something dreadful had befallen Rido.

“There aren’t any sheets, huh?” 

Amidst the wreckage, Felix’s composed voice reached my ears as I stood there dumbfounded. Glancing over, I saw him earnestly probing the bed, stained with mud and blood, with the palm of his hand.

“We have blankets and mattresses, but no sheets.” 

Fearfully, I peered over Felix’s shoulder at his words. Indeed, upon closer inspection, the absence of sheets was conspicuous. Moreover, as I had passed through the living room before reaching the bedroom, I hadn’t seen any sheets there either. But what could it mean?

“It’s not just the sheets. It seems Rido’s belongings have vanished completely.” 

Nodding at Felix’s words, Gazelle surveyed the room. I did the same. Rido’s belongings were indeed gone. Having snuck away from his hometown and been assaulted by bandits along the way, he hadn’t carried many belongings. Yet, he hadn’t been devoid of possessions entirely. Despite that, there were no signs of Rido’s belongings in this bedroom or the living room.

“Gazelle-sama, Felix-sama. I’ve checked the bathroom too, but there are no belongings or sheets there either.”

“I see…” 

The innkeeper had apparently checked the bathroom and toilet as well.

“The shards of the window glass are scattered inside from the outside. It means someone snuck onto this balcony, broke the window, and infiltrated the room. Then, they escaped by opening the door from the inside…? No, but there’s also the possibility they simply exited through the window.” 

Gazelle directed a sharp gaze at the broken window glass. And Felix, who had been examining around the bed, also cast a solemn gaze beyond the window.

“If they entered from the balcony into the room, they likely committed the crime in the inconspicuous dead of night. Considering the location of this inn, if it had been during the day, it would have been clearly visible from the seaside.”

“Speaking of night… then, perhaps it was the night before last?” 

Surprised, I looked up at Felix.

Throughout yesterday, the three of us hadn’t seen Rido. According to the innkeeper, he hadn’t come down to the dining hall even once. Plus, there had been no response when we knocked.

“Yes. Presumably, someone infiltrated this room from the balcony the night before last and abducted Rido-san. The missing sheets were likely used to restrain him and carry him out of the room in a bundle.”

“That’s why only the sheets are missing. But… who would kidnap Rido and for what purpose? Could it be the work of the bandits who attacked him yesterday?”

At my question, Gazelle shook his head with a troubled expression.

“No, they should have been captured by the Lord’s knights. Even if it were the comrades of the bandits targeting Rido out of spite, I doubt they’d resort to such elaborate means.”

“Furthermore, there’s been no disturbance to the room’s furnishings typical of bandits or thieves. If they were bandits, they would have taken not only Rido’s belongings but also the furnishings.”

Come to think of it, the living room was completely untouched.

And there was no sign of tampering with the other furniture in the bedroom.

The innkeeper beside me also listened to Gazelle and Felix’s conversation with an amazed expression.

“So, someone snuck into this room and kidnapped Rido. But for what purpose?”

“Perhaps… it’s related to Rido’s hometown.”

“Then, could it be that the mayor of Rido’s hometown or his associates pursued him this far?”

“That’s highly possible, but there might be other reasons.”

“Other reasons?”

Gazelle crossed his arms with a grim expression at my words.

“Rido’s stay at this inn was sudden. If he hadn’t coincidentally encountered Takumi on the highway, he wouldn’t have planned to stay here. Even if the mayor’s faction had been trailing him from his hometown, they would have attacked before entering Golera City. There’s no conceivable reason for them to resort to such elaborate tactics as sneaking into the inn in the dead of night to abduct him.”

Ah, I see.

The mayor’s faction couldn’t have pre-planned Rido’s stay at this inn. After all, he only decided to stay here because of our chance encounter.

Rido disappeared the night before last—the same night he arrived in Golera City.

It’s quite unlikely that the mayor’s faction arrived in Golera City, researched his lodging, and executed their plan on the same day Rido decided to stay at this inn.

“Yes, indeed. And if they were from the mayor’s faction, it’s hard to imagine why they would bother to kidnap Lord Rido. If they wanted to silence him, literally killing him would be quicker…”

Felix, having said that much, trailed off.

Then, with a panicked expression, he looked flusteredly at me.

“S-Sorry! That was out of line just now. I was just trying to think about the motives of those who abducted Lord Rido… I should have chosen my words more carefully.”

Felix glanced nervously at my expression, his ears, resembling those of a golden retriever, drooping.

In Felix’s fluster and his concern, my tense heart softened slightly.

“You don’t have to worry so much. I’ll be fine. Besides, I understand what you’re trying to say.”

“Takumi…”

“The fact that Rido was ‘abducted’ means the other party has a reason not to kill him or doesn’t want to kill him. In other words, it implies that Rido is still alive and well. …That’s what Felix is trying to say, right?”

With a smile directed at Felix, he seemed to relax, relieved. Then, he returned the smile to me.

On the other hand, the innkeeper beside me looked at me with a surprised expression. My lines just now might have sounded quite mature compared to my appearance age-wise. Not surprising.

But… I see, so this is what they call ‘small in size, big in brains!’ Being in this situation feels kind of nice. Ehehe.

Nevertheless, it’s nostalgic. I wonder if that manga has already concluded in the original world?

“Right. Whatever the purpose of those who abducted Rido, he should still be alive.”

Gazelle reached out and reassuringly placed his palm on my shoulder. In this diminutive body, my shoulder fit neatly into his palm.

Then, Gazelle turned to the stunned innkeeper.

“You, go report the situation to the Lord’s knights. And make it quick.”

“Y-Yes!”

“Felix, Takumi. Sorry, but today’s plans have changed. We’ll stay at the inn all day today, waiting for the arrival of the Lord’s knights and their investigation. We might be asked to give our account, and there might be something we can do as well.”

“Of course.”

“Yes, Commander Gazelle!”

Strongly nodding at Gazelle’s words, Felix and I. With things turning out like this, we couldn’t just leisurely enjoy our trip. We needed to confirm Rido’s safety as soon as possible.

But really… who on earth abducted Rido and for what purpose?